Doc On The Run Podcast

Metatarsal stress fractures are one of the most common running injuries.  If you are runner and suspect a metatarsal stress fracture, you have to use some common sense, do everything that you can to heal it as quickly as possible and then get back to running. But there really are three mistakes I see runners make over and over and over, even when I see runners with stress fractures. Today on the D...

Barefoot running injuries don’t happen to novice runners.  Most runners who decide to run in minimalist running shoes or run purely barefoot, they don't take up running and decide to do that in minimalist shoes or barefoot right out of the gates.  Most of the people I see, most of the runners I talk to, most of the runners who call me for a consultation and want to ask questions about their barefo...

Broken toes are common, but they can really hamper your training when you're getting ready to run a race. If you break your toes a few weeks before a big race the question is always whether or not you will be able to run your race. Today's episode is based on the questions sent in for a runner who fractured a couple of toes and wants to know whether or not she's going to be able to run her race in...

It's no big secret that I really don't like fracture walking boots for runners.  I think doctors over-prescribe them.  When you use fracture walking boots for too long, it causes weakness, stiffness, decreased bone density, loss of neuromuscular connections, and a whole bunch of unnecessary increased risks where you getting another different overtraining injury when you're actually back to running...

Achilles tendinosis can be a tough problem. If you're a runner who gets tightness in your calves and then develops Achilles tendinosis, it can be very difficult to get it to heal and it can be very frustrating. Today on the Doc on the Run Podcast we're talking about Achilles tendinosis that has failed multiple attempts at treatment. 

If you have pain and swelling in the toes after a run, you might be worried you have a stress fracture in the toes. But you have to figure out if the injury is in one of the bones of the toes, or if you have a metatarsal stress fracture instead. But you also have to make sure you don't have a plantar plate sprain. Today on the Doc On the Run Podcast, we're talking about toe stress fractures from r...

If you are running with pain in the ball of the foot that seems like a stress fracture, it could be a plantar plate sprain. If you get a plantar plate sprain right before a race, the obvious question is whether or not you should do the event. If you have a sprain of the plantar plate ligament, you may still be able to do your race. You just have to decide how bad the injury is, what your long-term...

Hydration is one of the limiters for many runners. It seems like often-missed, low hanging fruit that has the potential to boost performance in long events like marathons and ultra-marathons.  I know as runners we all want to focus on working harder, suffering more and trying to come up with some new technique or training plan that's going to get us faster and stronger. But in many cases when we a...

How often should you get new running shoes? That depends on how quickly they wear out! Some runners get new running shoes every few months. Some running coaches tell runners to replace running shoes every 200 to 500 miles. If you keep running in worn out shoes, you may be putting yourself at risk of an over training injury. But a lot of different variables can affect how quickly your running shoes...

Do you really need custom orthotics if you're a runner?  If you're a runner and a doctor suggests custom orthotics, you may need orthotic inserts, but you may not. At least not forever. Many runners just need custom orthotic therapy for a short time to help heal an injury and keep running. Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we're talking about whether or not you really need custom orthotics for r...

When we run, we feel better. But what happens when you get busy, or even worse you get injured and you're not really able to run. Do you get bummed out? Do you get anxious? Do you get depressed?  In this episode we have a fantastic interview with William Pullen who literally wrote the book on Dynamic Running Therapy.  Today on the Doc On the Run Podcast we are talking with William Pullen the autho...

If you are a runner with a metatarsal stress fracture, you can simply stop running and wait for the bone to heal. The other option is to figure out how to heal it faster and keep running while the stress fracture is still healing. If you do that, you can get back to running a lot faster! Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about  the 12 Steps to healing and running with a metatarsal...

If you are running and you get plantar fasciitis, you probably want to get back to running as soon as possible. Many doctors will tell you to quit running. Doctors may also recommend lots of other treatments for plantar fasciitis like cortizone injections, custom orthotics, icing, elevation, supportive shoes, physical therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and even surgery. Most runners w...

Medicine is all about risk versus benefit. Everything in medicine has risk. There's risk with everything. There is risk with running with a stress fracture. There is risk with using a fracture walking boot when you get a metatarsus stress fracture. You're actually going to be more at risk of other over-training injuries later. So there's risk even with not running. Today, on the Doc On The Run pod...

Should you ramp up your running training when your healing injury doesn't feel like it does not hurt much worse while running? As soon as the healing stress fracture gets a little bit stronger, you should start ramping up your fitness so you don't just lose all of your running fitness. The big question is, is whether or not it's okay at that point to really ramp up training, keep running longer, k...

Any over-training running injury is caused by too much stress applied to that one structure. Once it starts to heal and you are trying to return to running, you have to keep the overall amount of stress applied to that one healing structure low enough so it can continue to heal even while you ramp up your activity and run. Today on the Doc on the Run podcast, we're talking about how much stress re...

The reason I like out in back runs for long runs is it makes me committed. I can’t quit. But out and back runs can actually put you in a really vulnerable position when you've been injured. If something starts to hurt during your run, if you've noticed some new odd sensation, you still have to get home. Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about why injured runners should avoid the o...

A pothole is a classic road hazard. It is an obstacle in the road that can cause trouble. If you're going fast in your car and you hit a pothole, it can actually blow out your tire. If you are running and you step in a pothole, it can break your foot.  Road hazards are avoidable dangers in your path that cause trouble. This is true for drivers of automobiles and it's true for runners as well. Toda...

A tight Achilles tendon can cause a variety of problems for runners. A night splint is a brace that is supposed to help stretch a tight Achilles tendon by holding the foot in a corrected position while you sleep.  A night splint is often recommended to runners when they get plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis.  But there actually is a brace that I think is really much better than a night spli...

As soon as you sign up for a marathon you start to think about what it will take to finish it. You come up with a plan. You design a series of of workouts. And you realize you are going to have to suffer.   Before you even begin you first workout, you convince yourself that success will require pain and suffering.   But if you maintain your marathon mindset and you just tell yourself you're suppos...

Last week I was lecturing on running injuries at a medical conference.  A doctor in the audience asked, "What do you do exactly when a runner tries to renegotiate their activity level with you, the doctor?” When you're injured, you have to face it. You have to shift your mindset. The most important thing you can do as an injured runner is to remember that your actual most important goal is to fini...

How long before I can run on a metatarsal stress fracture? The short answer is this, you can run as soon as the metatarsal bone has healed enough, becomes stable enough, to withstand the stress you apply to that bone when you run. Today on the Doc on the Run Podcast, we're talking how long it should take before you can run on a metatarsal stress fracture.

If you want to get back to running sooner, you have to figure out a way to maintain the maximum level of activity your healing tissues can withstand without causing any further damage and without impeding the healing process. There is a fine line between healing while your running fitness diminishes and healing while simultaneously advancing your fitness. When it comes to healing and trying to fig...

Is it dangerous to run on a stress fracture? Stress fractures are one of the most common problems runners get when over training. When injured, stress fractures can keep you off running for a really long time.  Runners are often running on stress fractures. Sometimes knowingly, sometimes unknowingly. You have to figure out whether or not you're going to cause any permanent damage to the bone, or d...

If you get pain and swelling in the ball of the foot you might become worried you have a fracture. Let's face it. When runners get an aching pain in the foot at the first thing we worry about is probably a stress fracture. The good news is that in the overwhelming majority of cases where you have pain in the ball of the foot at the base of the toes, it is not usually a broken bone. But it can happ...